Contents

Premise

Synopsis

An employee for Crystal Cove's hazardous company, Destroido, recieves what he assumes is a prank call demanding him to quit his job at the company or else something bad will happen. Ignoring the deep voiced man on the other line he continues to drive home where he gets attacked by a swarm of insects that nearly pushes him off the cliff and into the waters. The next day Scooby Doo and the gang are listening to a lecture about awkward insects known as a cicada. The professors looks begin to capture the interest of the girls, especially Daphne's due to Fred's obsession to traps throughout the series. While chewing down his favorite snack, Shaggy chokes on a letter by Mr. E telling them that a mystery is at the hospital.

The gang make it to the hospital and find the same man being stripped of all the cicadas that had stuck to him since the attack. They learn by the Sharriff that a giant creature made entirely of a swarm of insects has been attacking Destroydo workers. Eager to solve the mystery, Fredy's father forbids them from solving another mystery proving that the towns monster sights are only the classic culprits in elaborate costumes.

The gang soon find themselves again visiting another employee in the emergency room, after having been attacked by the same creature inside his own shower. Shaggy and Scooby become emersed in excitement when they find the creator of their favorite snacks visiting the man in his room, Grandma Moonbeam. After leaving, the man's heart monitor goes berserk as he shouts out "Bugs!" repeatedly. Eagerly leaving the room, the gang enter the elevator where they are against their will brought down to the basement. They then witness the cicada creature for themselves as it tells them for trying to solve the caper they will be attacked like the rest of them tomorrow night.

The Gang realize that something horrible is going on and they're running out of time finding clues. Fred is determined to prove the cicada loving, Destroydo hating teacher is the creature and breaks into the school to find the man playing a mysterious tune to the insects with a harplike instrument. After Fred's interigation of him being a 'girlfriend stealer' the police are called and are caught trying to solve the mystery. Once hearing that the monster will be after them the following night, Freds father orders them to show up to the cicada festival in honor of the creature to increase the tourist attraction.

The following night, at the cicada festival, Daphne says she over heard that Fred had classified her as being his girflfriend and accepts to go on a date to the trap exhibit that he had mentioned earlier. But just before the two finally define themselves as boyfriend and girlfriend they are spotted by Freds father telling them that they need to be near the front for the cicada creature. Shaggy soon points out to the gang that the professor has entered a haunted house ride The House of Spooky Things, and decide to follow. After triggering off many of the house's surprises, which even Shaggy and Scooby say aren't spooky, they find themselves trapped between two walls with the cicada creature too eager to destroy them.

Using Fred's strength against the weak walls of the structure, they escape and lead the cicada creature on a run through the park into the parking lot where the mystery machine awaits, after being rigged as a giant vacuum. Fred struggles to activate it as the swarms cover his body and the cicada creature starts to defeat Mystery Inc.

Notes/trivia

Cultural references

The episode title appears to be a reference to the mystery/horror Japanese anime series Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni (When the Higurashi Cry). "Higurashi" are a breed of Cicadas.

Adding to the above, further evidence that the title is a reference is that one of the main "mysteries" in Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni is where characters are driven insane, the most notable character, and example, is when Rena, one of the main protagonists, is investigating the disappearences and murders of people that occured on the same day in the past four years, she figures out that all the disappearances and murders only happened to people who supported or worked on a discontinued dam project that would flood the small town they live in. These cases were also thought by the townspeople to be caused by the demon that supposedly haunts the town (and who apparently didn't like the idea of the dam). Along the way, Rena starts falling into insanity and at two points, starts shouting about there being maggots in her blood and frantically scratches and claws at her skin to get the "maggots" out. There is also a festival for held for the demon. (Which is the night the murders and disappearances occurred).